Political Science Major Requirements

TO DECLARE A POLS, PSIR OR PSDV MAJOR: Pick up a major-declaration form from your academic advisor and bring it to the office of our Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Brox (302 Norman Mayer), during his office hours: Wednesday 10-12 and 1-3. You will be assigned a major advisor at that point.

Please note, you cannot declare two political science majors. You must choose either POLS, PSIR or PSDV.

Political Science Major Requirement

Required Course

POLS 2010 (Scope and Methods of Political Science)

Three Courses from the following:

POLA 2100 (or AP American Government)

POLC 2300 (or AP Comparative Politics)

POLI 2500

POLT 2700

One Course from the following:

Statistics Component: MATH 1110 or equivalent course (double majors in SOCI or PSYC may have other options for satisfying the statistics requirement and should consult their major advisors) OR Foreign Language – students must complete one additional three-credit course beyond the SLA foreign-language requirements.

Electives:

SIX courses, not more than FOUR of which from any single subfield (POLA, POLC, POLI, or POLT).

Level of Course Work

At least two courses need to be at the 4000-level or above. This does not include internships, independent studies, or honors thesis credits.

Either one course at the 6000 level OR one four-credit writing intensive course in political science. This course cannot be “double-counted” and used to fulfill the requirement above; in other words, it does not count toward the “two classes at the 4000-level or above” requirement.

Students may not exceed six credits of internship toward their total hours of graduation and can count only one internship course (POLS 4560) toward major requirements.

Concentration in International Relations (PSIR Major)

Required Course:

POLS 2010 (Scope and Methods of Political Science)

Three Courses from the following:

POLA 2100 (or AP American Government)

POLC 2300 (or AP Comparative Politics)

POLI 2500

POLT 2700

Economics Component:

PSIR majors must successfully complete TWO of the following courses:

ECON 1010 (Microeconomics)

ECON 1020 (Macroeconomics)

ECON 1050 (Macroeconomics for Public Policy)

MATH 1110 (Probability and Statistics I)

POLI 3540 (International Political Economy)

ECON 3370 (The World Economy)

POLC 6110 (Comparative Political Economy)

Foreign Language Component:

Students must complete one additional three-credit course beyond the SLA foreign-language requirements.

Electives:

SIX courses, at least THREE of which must be in either International Relations (POLI) and/or Comparative Politics (POLC). Not more than FOUR of the electives may be in any single subfield (POLA, POLC, POLI, or POLT).

Level of Course Work:

At least two courses need to be at the 4000-level or above. This does not include internships, independent studies, or honors thesis credits.

Either one course at the 6000 level OR one four-credit writing intensive course in political science. This course cannot be “double-counted” and used to fulfill the requirement above; in other words, it does not count toward the “two classes at the 4000-level or above” requirement.

Students may not exceed six credits of internship toward their total hours of graduation and can count only one internship course (POLS 4560) toward major requirements.

One out of the following two:

Economics Component:

Foreign Language Component:

Students must complete one additional three-credit course beyond the SLA foreign-language requirements.

Electives:

FIVE courses, at least ONE must be a PSDV class. At least TWO must come from outside of Political Science (see the approved list of classes in the checklist).

Level of Course Work:

At least two courses need to be at the 4000-level or above. This does not include internships, independent studies, or honors thesis credits.

Either one course at the 6000 level OR one four-credit writing intensive course OR an Honors Thesis in political science. This course also counts as an elective, BUT NOT as a 4000-level or above class.

Students may not exceed six credits of internship toward their total hours of graduation and can count only one internship course (POLS 4560) toward major requirements.

General Minor Requirements

A minor in political science consists of six courses in political science, in at least two different subfields, with at least three courses at the 3000-level or above.

A minor in political science with a concentration in international development (PSDV) consists of six courses, including PSDV2400 (Intro to International Development) and PSDV3200 (Development Issues and Strategies), either ECON1020 (Macroeconomics) OR POLI3450 (International Political Economy), and three electives. All of the electives must be 3000-level or above, at least one must be PSDV and at least one from the department approved list (see minor checklist).